Amazon acquires 3D body model startup “Body Labs” in a ~$60 million deal

Amazon, the global ecommerce behemoth, has acquired Body Labs, a company with a stated aim of creating true-to-life 3D body models to support various b2b software applications — such as virtually trying on clothes or photorealistic avatars for gaming in a ~$50-70 million deal. Founded in 2013, the startup had raised more than $10 million till now. The startup’s technology used to augment a human with digital content as the person moves around by cladding them in a full-body gaming avatar ‘suit’ or adding boxing gloves and bunny slippers to a dancing man.

The company stated that “SOMA Shape API can be used to accurately predict and measure the 3D shape of your customers using just a single image, and thus can power custom apparel or be used by fashion eCommerce retailers wanting to offer sizing recommendations”. Additionally, company suggests other uses-cases for its ‘fat and all’ 3D body modeling tech in health and fitness tracking, and even equipment design and manufacturing. Amazon will leverage the technology in several ways. Being able to offer custom fit could give Amazon’s private label fashion brands an edge, even as improving sizing predictions generally for Amazon shoppers could help drive clothes shopping across its platform and help shrink returns from clothes that don’t fit.